Johnny Clark - Speedway 660 (Controversy) - Opinion Piece

Photo of Johnny Clark - Courtesy of: 3 Wide Media Productions

[Author Note: This is an opinion piece of mine, and I was not present at the race, nor did I have any first-hand experience with any controversy that may or may not have taken place. I was able to gain a bit of insight into things off the record from people I trust, as I wanted to make sure I wasn’t grossly off base with things. Ultimately, my thinking is that there is some tension from some people, perhaps just on the ‘Canadian side’, or perhaps on both, I am not sure. I do however think that sometimes bridges can be mended, and I am hopeful that this could potentially be the case here.

I would love an opportunity to someday speak with Johnny Clark - if he didn’t want to speak on this subject, I would gladly do a piece with him that brought his fantastic career to date to light on the American side, or Canadian side as well, without going into certain controversy. If he were willing to discuss those things, though, I would love to get his perspective and side of the story.

Admittedly my opinion in this matter is coming from a place of relatively minimal direct knowledge, and if I knew more, perhaps it would be a bit different. The purpose of this article is not to thoroughly go over the details of controversy, especially when some of it may be alleged, the purpose is to share certain thoughts I have, and pose certain questions, from my standpoint.]

February 28th, 2024

Introduction To Johnny

Johnny Clark of Farmingdale, Maine (no relation to Cassius Clark of Farmington, Maine - though Cassius has told me that they are friends), is a phenomenal race car driver, with long list of achievements, and veteran laurels. Johnny Clark has hundreds and hundreds of starts, spanning back about 30 years, including more than a dozen starts in Maritime Canada. His dedication and prominence have not slowed with time, as his most recent, lengthy full-time PASS campaigns have all been very strong, and he’s not far from adding to his series high seven PASS North Championship titles, backed up by an Oxford 250 victory, and many other podiums in the special race.

Perhaps his most dominant PASS campaign was in 2011, where he had an average finish of 2.71 en route to 7 wins, 12 top-5s, and 14-top 10s in 14 starts. New Brunswick’s Lonnie Sommerville won that year as well, and had an outstanding 10 top-5s in 14 races. While PASS sanctioned, he (Clark) also mustered a 4th place finish in the Crown Jewel 2012 All American 400, as well as (unsanctioned) strong placements in the past at the Snowball Derby.

History in Canada

Clark has raced well over a dozen times North of the border, including in the then Pro Stock Tour sanctioned New Brunswick 250 at Speedway 660 in 2010, in which he led 210 laps on his way to victory, with only Shawn Turple, Greg Proude, and Johnathan Hicken picking up a few laps along the way. Under PASS sanctioning at the time, he has competed in the Scotia Speedworld 250 7 times, winning twice, taking another 2 podiums, and adding a top-5 to his resume there. At Speedway 660's New Brunswick 250, he's started from 2006-2011, and again in 2015, 2017, and 2018. Along the way, he's accumulated 2 wins, a 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 2 6ths.

Controversy

Okay, so let me re-iterate a bit, these are strictly my thoughts, and they are spoken from limited information, and first-hand experience. Perhaps some people have very valid reasons to believe certain unacceptable lines were crossed, perhaps that could even be the case for Johnny himself, not just someone over here. Alas, here are my outside thoughts:

I don’t think grudges, either from drivers, fans, series, tracks, whatever, benefit anyone (please do not read into this, I am not insinuating that this is a ‘thing’, or that there is a track with a grudge, etc.). I’m not totally naive or unrealistic. But sometimes bridges can be mended, and perspective is just missing that needs light on it to help that: be it out in the open, or in private. I 100% believe that with the exception of a few, extreme situations, a bad moment, or potentially series of bad moments do not have to define the future.

Anyone, including Johnny, are entitled to their feelings. My understanding is that the 2018 New Brunswick 250 was a messy race, and that Johnny played a role in that, but that it was a messy affair all around. I believe that there were discussions occurring about an alleged comment made by Johnny Clark on his radio, stating that “Canadian’s don’t know how to drive,” or a similar such sentiment. I believe that this comment was made before the short track equivalent of ‘the big one’, which some people blame Johnny Clark for starting. I am under the impression that Johnny was also involved in about 3 other smaller incidents earlier in the night - with perhaps the alleged radio statement occurring after one of them. Some may have found it a bit ironic, given what would soon happen.

There may have been a prior conflict many years earlier at a 250 between a driver here and Johnny, but I really don’t know anything about those details. I’ve never personally spoken with Johnny, and I don’t know what his character is like. I do know that he is a fantastic driver, and that it seems to me that his driving style is not notorious by any means, over the span of many years, and that he has never had any sort of major controversies beside this, if you would consider it that. He certainly hasn’t been blackballed, etc.

The Foreign Factor and Heat of the Moment

Not everyone handles adversity, or frustration in the same way. I will save a lot dissertation into what all goes into making these races happen for all involved, but if his statement about Canadian drivers is true, we need to ask ourselves: was Johnny Clark under pressure or emotionally charged when he made the comment? The role of emotions in shaping people's behaviour and expressions, especially in competitive environments like racing can affect us all differently, and we are all capable of saying things that may not truly reflect our feelings.

While Clark with this comment, paired with a later on-track incident could call into question the respect that Johnny has for our community here. But racing is an intense sport, where adrenaline runs high and emotions often reach a boiling point. In such an environment, words spoken in the heat of the moment can carry significant weight, even if they do not fully reflect a person's true sentiments. It's crucial to consider the context in which Clark's comment was made and the emotions that may have fuelled his words, if we are to pass strong judgment, and hold onto it.

The incident at Speedway 660 prompts us to confront the biases and preconceptions that influence our perceptions of others, particularly based on nationality. Would the reaction to Clark's comment have been the same if he were Canadian? This question invites us to reflect on the double standards that may exist in our judgments of individuals from different backgrounds, especially when they only spend a limited amount of time racing here, and then a messy situation leaves a bad taste in some people’s mouths.

Conclusion

Again, admittedly - without knowing every detail, and without getting Johnny’s side of the story, etc. I can only give my general thoughts:

In the aftermath of the incident, it's imperative that we strive for understanding and resolution. Empathy and open dialogue are powerful tools for bridging divides and addressing conflicts. By engaging in honest conversations and recognizing our shared humanity, we can work towards reconciliation and foster a more inclusive and welcoming racing community.

The Johnny Clark incident at Speedway 660 serves as a reminder of the importance of empathy, understanding, and mutual respect in the world of Motorsports. While disagreements and controversies may arise, it's essential that we approach them with a willingness to listen and learn from each other. By finding common ground, we can ensure that the spirit of racing remains alive and thriving for generations to come.

While with what happened, perhaps Johnny would be looked poorly upon by some, regardless of where he is from, but when an outside driver beats your own, and when certain incidents happen involving a driver who lives far away, and who you don’t see much of often, it may compound this.

Whatever the truth of exactly what happened, especially if there are conflicting claims, one thing that remains true is that:

Johnny Clark is excellent at Speed 660, and it would make for a compelling story, and a come back if he were to ever return. From 2007-2010 he led more laps than anyone in the 250, he won it in 2007, taking the lead with just under 100 laps to to go, and ended up 5th in 2008 after Lonnie Sommerville pitted late and beat him on tires. In 2009, Clark finished 3rd, and in 2010 it was one of the most dominant wins ever in the 250 for Johnny, leading over 200 laps. In 2011 he got into it with Craig Slaunwhite bad, with a bit a conflict. In 2015 he came from back of the 250, and while he didn’t lead laps, as Cassius Clark dominated that field, he came home with a 2nd place finish. In 2017 he led the most laps, but his second set of tires wasn’t as good as his first, and he didn’t get the lead back. Finally, to date, 2018 controversy happened, and he has yet to return. Of note, he also won 4 straight PASS races at 660 from 2010-2014 (there was no race in 2013 due to rain).